Frederick w



(No Model.)

No. 533,913. Patented Feb. 12,1895.

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|NVENTOR I NE w|TNEssEs= UNITED STATn-s PATENT Clarion.

rREDERIoK w. MoUN'r,

OF ST. JOHN, CANADA.

FUSE-BLOCK AND SOCKET.

SPECIFICATION' forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,913, datedFebruary 12, 1895.

Application filed July 16.1894.

To all whom/ it' may conccrn:

Be it known that I, FREDERIOK W. MoUN'r, a subject of the Queen ofEngland, residing at St. John, in the Province of New Brunswick andDominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFuse- Blocks and Sockets, of which the following' is a full, clear, andeXact description.

This invention relates to fuso blocks and sockets adapted for use insystems of electrical distribution for the direct attachment of a lampor plug.

Among the objects of theinvention may be mentioned a reduction in thenumber of contact pieces required, simplicity in the generalconstruction, an arrangement whereby the socket may be used with eitherexposed or concealed wiring, and a construction whereby the socket maybe connected with the fuse block by the same screw thread whichordinaril y connects the same socket with a bracket or fixture.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a lamp andsocket shown attached to my improved fuse block, the latter with itsbase being shown in section. Fig. 2 is ar perspective view of the base,and Fig. 3 is a plan of the bottom or inner portion of the fuse block.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A represents the base. This is ablock of insulating material of any suitable Character provided with thecentral opening` a, over which the fuse block B is to be placed. Thisbase is adapted to be secured to the wall or ceiling by means of screwspassing through the holes az and it may be interposed in a line ofwiring molding or placed adjacent to exposed wires.

(L3, (x3 represent metal plates secured to the opposite sides of thecentral opening in the base by screws at, ati. These plates are providedon one end with binding screws ai and are also provided with twotappedholes afi, a, into either one of which a screw cfi is adapted to fit.When the plates are turned so that the binding screws come on the outerends, the screws a7 will be placed in the outer holes as, as, as shownin Fig. 2, but it will be ob- Served that by loosening the screws 0,4,ct4 the Serial No. 517,630. (No model.)

plates may he swung` around to bring 'the binding screws into theopening` a in the base, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Then theplates are so arranged, the screws (L7 are to be removed and placed inthe holes (LG at the opposite ends of the plates, th us still bringingsaid screws at the same location with respect to the base as they wereformerly. The object of this reversibility of the plates is to adapt thebase to either exposed or concealed wiring. As the plates are arrangedin Fig. 2, they are adapted for exposed wiring; that is to say, thewires which are shown in dotted lines and represented by the letters co,w, pass along the outside of the base and are generally secured againstthe wall or ceiling by cleats exposed to view. lVhen the plates arereversed the wires 00,81: will pass through grooves in a molding andwill enter the grooves (t', a' in the base corresponding to those in themolding. At the point where thesegrooves intersect the opening in thebase the wires will be eXposed and may be connected with the bindingscrews of the plates.

The fuse block B is adapted to be secured to the face of the base A bymeans of hooks b, which are formed in the ends of metal pieces b securedby screws 112 to the block. These hooks pass under the heads of screws(L7 and in consequence thereof the screws must always occupy the sameposition. This is the reason for the two holes ctG before described.W'hen the hooks are properly adjusted to the screws the plates C03 andthe contact pieces b' are in electrical connection. Through the centerof the block B I insert a bushing b3 of insulating material, such ashard rnbber. This projects through the block and the extending portionor neck Z)AL is pro- Vided with a thread for a purpose which willhereinafter appear. Through this bushing are formed two passages, asshown.

O represents a socket, which, in the 'form shown, is an ordinaryincandescent 'lamp socket. It is fitted to the block B by screwing itupon the projecting neck of the bushing bg. It is pointed out that bymeans of this screw connection between the socket and the fuse block,any type of lamp socket may be connected with the block, because the IOOpitch of' the thread and diameterof the opening in the lamp are standardsizes'. The bushing` is provided with a squared end b* which prevents itturning in the block. From the screws 292 which hold the contact piecesb' in place, to the terminals in the lamp socket I run directly twoconductors 295, b. These will be macie of fusible metal of the ordinaryCharacter and will pass through the respective passages in the bushingbg. This method of inserting the fusible strips is a deviation 'from theordinary method in that the said strips lead directly from the contactpieces into the lamp socket. Heretofore the said fusible strips havepassed from one binding` screw to another and begin and end in the blockitself, ordinary insulated copper conductors being used for leading-inwires to the socket. I thus do away with two pairs of binding screws andone pair of contact pieces.

The bushing and fuses are susceptible of several modifications. Thebushing may be provided with a single passage and both fnse wires passedthrough the same after being` insulated in rnbber tubing. Again, ifother means are provided for attaching` the socket to the block, such,for instance, as is commonly used in this class of devices, the bushingmay be done away with entirely and the fuse wires run through the singleenlarged passage from which the bushing was removed. For the purpose ofimparting more strength to the bushing it may be made of metal andinsulated fuse wires passed through it.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A fuse block providedwith ahollowbushing having' a screw threaded end, in combination with asocket screwed to said end, and fusible conductors passing' directlyfrom the fuse blockthrough the bushingintothe socket.

2. A fuse block provided with a hollow metallic bushing' having;` ascrew threaded end, in combination with a socket screwed to saidextended end, and insulated fusible conductors passing` directly fromthe fuse block into the socket- 3. A fuse block or rosette provided withbinding,y posts for connection to line wires, the same being' reversibleso that connection to said wires may be made either inside or outside ofthe block or rosette, substantially as describcd.

4:. The combination of the base A and the block B, the same having'interlocking connections on the base and provided with binding` screwsfor connecting` With line wires and made reversible, for the purpose setforth.

In testimonywhereof I Subscribe my signa` ture in presence of twowitnesses.

FREDERCK VV. MOUN.

Witnesses:

GEoRoE M. O. PnTEns, GEO. W. PARKER.

